Entertainment

Craig Sjodin/ABC

How Is It Possible Jake & Becca Know Each Other?!

by Megan Walsh

Usually, all of the contestants on a new season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette will be total strangers to the person they're trying to woo. But every so often someone with a previous connection sneaks through, like Nick Viall's one-night wedding date, or Rachel Lindsay's childhood acquaintance. A similar situation seems to have emerged in Becca Kufrin's season, because it looks like she's met contestant Jake before. But how did Jake and Becca know each other before The Bachelorette?

The first hint comes from their shared hometown: Jake is a 29 year old marketing consultant from Minneapolis, and Becca is also from Minnesota. But tons of people grow up in the same state without ever crossing paths, so there has to be something more to the story for host Chris Harrison to tell E! News, "Jake and Becca have a past. Now they have different versions of that past."

That certainly sounds ominous. Harrison didn't have any more information to offer, so all viewers can do is speculate until they tune in tonight for the May 28 premiere and get the whole story. Harrison's tidbit could mean almost anything. Did Jake and Becca date? Did they go to high school together? Did they frequent the same grocery store? Fans will have to wait and see!

Paul Hebert/ABC

During an interview with Us Weekly, Harrison did note that some of the suitors are "there for the wrong reason," though he praised Becca's ability to handle any obstacles that arose. Perhaps Jake is one of those people. Historically, already knowing the Bachelor or Bachelorette has been more of a hindrance for contestants than a help. It may get them some attention early on (having a storyline to sell in the opening episodes makes you memorable and increases your air time), but it can also be a bad surprise for the person leading the season.

For example, Nick was rather unsettled to see his old flame Liz appear amongst the other women during his season. While they'd had a nice time together at the wedding where they met, she refused to give him her number afterwards and they never saw each other again. Popping up on television after not indicating her interest in real life came off a little odd and made her motives unclear. If Jake is indeed an ex of Becca's, then she might not be pleased to see him show up out of the blue while she's trying to start a new chapter in her life.

It's also doesn't seem promising that Jake and Becca have different perspectives on whatever happened between them in the past. That puts them on opposite sides right from the very beginning. While The Bachelorette could give them the chance to air their grievances and come to an understanding, it could also be too much trouble, especially since Becca told Entertainment Tonight that she was looking for a drama-free season. "I'm trying to weed out all the drama as early as possible," she said. "Like, I don't want drama. If there's a guy that's not meshing well with the other guys, then I probably won't want to keep them around that long."

If there's a lot of turmoil involved in Jake and Becca's prior connection, then it could contribute to him being quickly booted from the season. Then again, there's always a chance that their history is totally innocent. Jake could be a friend of a friend, an old co-worker, or someone Becca has only met once before. The options are endless, and the misunderstanding might not be very serious after all. The only way to find out for sure is to watch the premiere episode!